lily_

I love that quote too, it's really uplifting and encouraging. So let's PRESS ON!

OMG Everyone I got an email about admission interview from Hunter today!! Emailed was 8am EST!!! So excited. Now I just gotta do well in the interview to get a spot.........>_<......I'm gonna go in for an interview tomorrow............

Ok so today was my follow up call. I was told applications are still being reviewed, that I should hear something early June. I know graduation is May 26 &27 so hopefully once graduation is complete there will be more time to  designate to grad apps

My advice to potential applicants to Columbia's Postbaccalaureate Studies Program:

Think twice before applying and enrolling in this program if accepted.

Here are the drawbacks:

1) Absolutely NO STRUCTURED ACADEMIC ADVISING. Columbia promotes this program on its website as: "Working with academic advisors at the School of Continuing Education(SCE), each student develops a plan of study tailored to his or her background and academic goals" and that you can "Work with dedicated advisers to develop a customized course plan that advances your academic and professional goals".

REALITY: The only so-called "academic advisors" that I saw while enrolled in this program were 2 officers at computer terminals during registration week assisting with online course registration. There was NO "academic advising" regarding course selection; in fact, these "academic advisers" seemed more concerned with brushing off any possible questions about course selection than in actually assisting enrolled students. Considering that this program is supposed to supplement your prior undergraduate courses/degree for eventual application to graduate school, AND that you're paying a whopping $3800+ per course out of pocket, this nonexistent academic advising is pathetic and not what you would expect from an Ivy League school of Columbia's caliber. There is absolutely no outreach to School of Continuing Education students once you're enrolled - and Columbia has your tuition bucks.

As far as graduate school application advising - there was only one, 1.5 hour uninspiring Powerpoint presentation that SCE gave while I was there - that's it - and they post this on their website.

2) COST. Columbia charges $3800+ per course for this program. You can take similar courses at other NYC area schools for much less, so do your research and look around. Don't get swept up in being able to brag that you took courses at Columbia - because you're not getting a Columbia degree, just an assortment of courses from Columbia's School of Continuing Education at $3800+ each - although these are the same courses other Columbia students take.

Bottom Line: This PostBac program looks like a cash cow for Columbia - set up to pull in a lot of $$$$$ from students paying high out of pocket tuition, but really not worth your money or effort.

My Advice: Do your research and take undergrad./grad. courses at other NYC area schools if you want to supplement your undergraduate course transcript before applying to graduate school. Think CUNY, NYU, Fordham, SUNY schools - if you want to go out of NYC - and even Rutgers. You'll probably get much better academic advising and you'll save a ton of money. And then take what you save from not paying Columbia's exorbitant $3800+ per class and spend it on a good GRE or GMAT prep. class.

Just got an acceptance call from Queens today... I am so relieved, I've been waiting since January and I graduate in 2 days!

Assuming that you have the money for application fees to take a chance at some top programs, don't sell yourself short. Success in graduate work goes a long way toward making up for poor undergraduate performance, especially if you have strong letters from prominent faculty at your "well known terminal MA program" and a clear sense of your intellectual agenda.

Isn't that sentence still missing an article?

hehe, I'll throw in the cheesey quote that I've been reciting like a mantra:

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, 'press on' has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race." -Calvin Coolidge

Being an avid reader helps a lot with GRE words. Words and reading passages can't scare you if you've survived through Proust, Joyce or Dostoevsky If you're not into classic literature, I would recommend Supreme Court Justices' and politicans' books. Scalia, Rehnquist and Obama are all great writers and have an impressive range of vocabulary. Maybe stay away from Palin's books (no offense) - she writes like a 10 year old.

Also, here is a list: http://www.testprepreview.com/vocabulary.htm

I agree with everyone else. A lot of colleges will this say to comply with the Ferpa law which prohibits the release of information to anyone else but the student him/her self. Over the phone, it is nearly impossible for the college to really know who they are speaking to so a lot of colleges will have this kind of policy to protect student privacy.

They mean they can't give decisions over the phone. Its a department or university policy and it has nothing to do with your application.

There is nothing I hate more than the GRE for Archaeology PhDs! Grr!!!

If you are going to retake it you might want to invest in a class. Expensive, yes, but it seems with scores at your level (*ALMOST* there) you could really get a boost. I would try to get them up, though. I used to work grad admissions in an unnamed american archaeology dept and, although it wouldn't have kept you out entirely, your score would have been marked as low by the committee.

Do you have any publications or conference papers under your belt? If not, GET ON IT! Present at wherever...TAG...grad conferences in the UK...wherever. Make posters for everything. Bulk up your CV. Oh! I see you have one paper... More! Be a conference slut We've all done CRM and field schools...can you get an actual position on a project for the summer? Maybe not paid but you have to be NOT paying to be there. Something like a lab director role or a trench supervisor position. You should be at that point if you want to be equal or better than your competition.

Also, make your statement of purpose sparkle...present your idea for a phd as a well thought out endeavor to answer a specific problem. Make sure it is focused towards the work of the specific person you want to be your supervisor without it being TOO close. Contact the person you want to work with in the department before you apply.

Nevermind, once I saw the unreasonable and dickish statement about not being able to delete posts I changed my mind. This place has really degenerated from the site it used to be. I suppose the administrators feel powerful though, which obviously is the important thing.

Hi5 for a sub 3.0 UPGA PhD hopeful! I never realized there were more of us than I had originally thought.

Your LOR from your undergraduate days might be a positive spin on your package. You have a representative from your graduate work, one from professional, which is great. But who is going to tell your story of how you found your passion in life and turned your academic career around and worked your butt off and are a total success now? No one better than your undergraduate professor. Who else can tell that ad comm, that no really your UPGA is not indicative of what you're capable of and that they've seen the change in you.

I also second Emilee's suggestion that you should go ahead and have all four write letters for you unless it explicitly states otherwise. At worst, they throw one out at random. At best, they see how many people think you're great and deserving of a PhD!

If you have had any personal contact with anyone in the program (prof, admissions coordinator,etc.), I would e-mail that person. If not, then take the name you found listed. Your e-mail should just be a few sentences, for example:

Subject: Checking In

Dear So-and-so,

I am writing to inquire about the status of my application for Fall 2010 admission into the ____ department. (The next sentence explains why you want to know now -- e.g. perhaps you are being asked to let another school know of your decision to attend, or you're anticipating changes in housing plans next month, or you're just so excited about their program, or ...) I will be leaving (my current school) at the end of the month and I am now making arrangements for the summer. I would appreciate your letting me know the Admission Committee's timetable and when I might hear from you regarding my candidacy.

Thanks in advance for your earliest reply.

Kind regards,
Summerbreeze

Good luck!

With all due respect, what makes you think you can get a job? If you don't have one lined up, you are now in line behind hundreds or thousands of other graduates (both current and decades old) who had apps in months ago, some of whom have years if not decades of experience. I don't say that to be rude so much as to make sure you know what you're getting into. This is *the* worst job market in decades. In fact, your grandparents may not even have seen it this bad. I can promise you one thing, flipping burgers at McD's will be no way to figure out what you want to do than grad school. And I would almost put money on you flipping burgers in a month, unless you have something sweet lined up.

Again, sorry to be harsh, but please make sure you know what you're doing and not just that you've got the cold feet we all do right now

This is ridiculous. To score in the top 10% for math you would need to get an 800. And since you are applying for English - this is highly irrelevant (even in the social sciences, where math is required, but not that much - the given reason would be utterly ludicrous). I think they have given a bogus reason for why they denied you admission, and if I were in your place, i would bring this to light and ask to be told the actual reason.

My advice to you, and to all of the, "my chances" types is: Don't do this to yourselves. I realize that you are hoping for some insight, or privileged information, and there may be some around, but I don't think it is going to be on this forum. There are a few people who cruise the forum that actually are on admissions committees, and they tend to have really good information... about one school. The truth is though that the process is fairly inscrutable, and subject to factors completely out of your control, and until they are studied (which they probably never will be) out of anyone's ability to accurately describe.

This does not mean give up, but instead look at the facts objectively. Most schools are upfront about their minimum GPA's and scores, and what they want in students. Odds are they are not changing that. If you have that minimum, you have a shot; if you don't, you don't, so don't apply. Then look at the percentage of acceptances, and follow that with the percentages of placements in jobs that you want. Then apply as broadly as you dare, into consideration, and do your cost benefits analysis. Bear in mind that the cost of applying is fairly low, and you aren't committed. Moreover, you are like a paratrooper who is in the plane already, almost everything you can do, you have either done or not done already, and there is no going back. You can jump, or not. However, unlike a trooper, who might die if not completely prepared, you may only have to deal with some rejection. If you can't deal with that little bit of rejection, then don't apply.

Bottom line, no one here knows what your chances really are, so the decision is ultimately yours. Don't torture yourself by asking others to basically guess at your chances, and don't turn your fortunes over to strangers you barely know on the internet.

No offense but if the requirements for the program were clearly stated then you have no cause for protest. Yes the requirements may be very high but it's not their fault if you don't meet them. The only way it would be unfair is if they never stated what the standardized testing requirements were for their program, and my guess is that they are likely listed somewhere.

I'm currently a freshman at Vanderbilt University. My GPA is about a 3.65 (but on an upward trend; my father, aunt, and best friend from home all passed away this year and I had some health issues that kept my grades below where they might have been ideally). My major is child development, and I want to go on to a PhD in clinical psych. Ultimately, I'd like to be a practicing psychologist and work with eating disorder patients. I'm involved in several extracurriculars (sorority, Hillel, and an a cappella group), and next year, I am going to try and start a support group on campus through ANAD and I will be working in an infant research lab.

I would like to be done with my PhD in five years (no more than six with internship). I want to have kids and get my life on the road! I have a couple of questions.

1. Which (if any) clinical psych programs have a strong eating disorders focus? I'm looking at UNC, Duke, UF, U of Miami, UVA, FSU, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, Emory, LSU, Penn State, and IU. Obviously, there will some changes in my grad school choices, but these are my top choices right now.

2. If I maintain between a 3.65 and 3.75 GPA, are any of these schools automatic "not a shot in hell" schools? Would I have to compensate for my GPA somehow, or is it at an okay level? Vanderbilt is known for grade deflation among top private schools.

3. What other things should I get involved in to enhance my application?

4. My second major (or possible minor) is Russian. I will be living in the international dorm for the next few years, and should be pretty much fluent by the time college is out. Will this help or hurt me?

5. I am from a geographic minority state in the Northwest (think Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Dakotas). Will this help at all?

Thanks so much! I really appreciate the help.

I also got this email! I was kinda surprised about it but I'm not going to send in an application. I've been rejected at all of my 6 universities at which I applied for a PhD in CompLit but I recently got accepted to a really nice (interdisciplinary) 1-y graduate program at Smith with funding. I just don't see the point of paying for a MA-degree which doesn't increase your PhD chances dramatically... Isn't this Draper program the NYU cashcow? Also, you would know really late if you're accepted or not, I wouldn't be able to bear so much insecurity. I think it's very strange that the deadline is July 1...

You may wanna check the topics here on the University of Chicago's MAPH because I think that it's almost the same as the NYU program?

I got this too, and it sort of (perhaps irrationally) pissed me off. Like, I'm not good enough for your Ph.D. program, but good enough to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a useless interdisciplinary master's? Eff that. What would you even do with that degree, other than try -- who knows how successfully? -- to use it as a springboard to a Ph.D.? (Sorry. I'm grouchy today and this email hit my inbox at exactly the wrong time.)

MrOptimistic, you definitely should give it a shot! You won't know until you send out those apps.

As for UGPA, if your overall trend is upward, and seems like you have stellar GRE scores and MA work, you can address this in your personal statement/SOP. From my interviews, the PIs I talked to told me that LORs, your personal statement, and having research experiences are important. It's not uncommon to see poor grades in the beginning of college years and improvement later on, and they understand that. You can talk to your LORs and have them back you up in their letters, saying that you are hardworking etc. Although I didn't go through what you went through, but I messed up my first 3 semesters of undergrad (badly adjusted and getting many C's in a roll), so I started out having 2.3 overall. When I was about to graduate, I pulled my GPA up close to 3.0 with an Honors Thesis, and got accepted to a top-20 PhD program in my field (of course, not without my supportive LORs). There is hope.. It may look tough, but don't loose hope!

Is there a reason that you are only interested in the very top programs? If your main goal is to do research in your field, and location of the school is not that important for you, I read somewhere on this forum that you can look into schools in the Midwest or South region. There are also good research institutions at these places, and less competitive (my guess is coast regions are considered more habitable to most people..). This way your chance of being admitted to a program would increase.

Just my 2 cents based on personal experience from this current application season. Good luck to you and you will be fine!

Honestly the key is revision. Just write, write, and re-write. The first intro paragraph I had was really just "a clearing of the throat." My actual first paragraph didn't come until about my 4th or 5th draft.
I've heard many times that writing becomes nicely polished by the 5th draft. You obviously don't have to rewrite the entire thing every time, but try out different ideas.

One of my profs gave me the advice to concentrate on *what you can do, *what you have done, and *what you want to do. And don't use any gimmicks or say "ever since I was little..."

I also did check out a book at the library just to get some ideas flowing: Graduate admissions essays : write your way into the graduate school of your choice / Donald Asher.

Another major point to remember is that an SOP is like an extended cover letter. It is NOT a personal, fluffy, storytelling device- it is not so much about who you are a person and what kind of character you have, etc. It is more about what you can and want to do; keep it professional but interesting- particularly for science and technology fields.

Good Luck!

absolutely go for it. i don't have a specific anecdote for you, but i'm about to enter an MA program that has told me they send many students with a "similar background" to mine (2.8 UGPA) to top-10 PhD programs in my field. you've got, what, 1 year, 2, of 4.0ness at the grad level? AND you ended your UGPA on an upswing? i wouldn't let this deter to you from applying where you want to. and not to add to the generic advice you're dreading, but your LOR's are everything, so make sure they mention they don't know who that person was who got bad grades.